I don't know the cost of living in the US but Ireland is a very expensive place to live, interest rates , fuel , food , and electricity prices are all going up, there are many family's on the poverty line http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0817/1224276973735.html
the gap is widening on a daily bases between the rich (bankers , politicians) and the poor (the rest of us),
the business community are struggling hard to stay afloat like never before and jobs are going fast
there are no signs of help coming for the people who need it and the just simply cannot afford to live normal lives anymore
I don't like painting a dull picture of Ireland but that's the ugly reality of our country today
speaking of ugly, our Government are very busy helping themselves to whatever is left in the pot and are living very exuberant lives,
one useless gouger http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/daily-mail-london-england-the/mi_8002/is_2010_August_9/dempsey-taxpayer-ride-minister-spent/ai_n54730752/
http://www.tribune.ie/news/article/2010/aug/08/dempsey-given-5000-cash-advances-for-overseas-trip/